


handlebars.

by cl3rks



Series: the years we left behind. [1]
Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Children, F/M, Ice Cream, Kids, Pansexual Character, Puberty, Snobby Character, Some Swearing, Tags May Change, Young Love, afternoon in the pool, foreshadowing text, gaylord geckos down the street, gender specific reader, handlebar riding, harvey is pansexual, jessica is a snob, mainly about richie killing people, may be weird, puberty talk, seth is like one or two years older than richie in this fyi, weird parenting, you have a pool, you're the cool kid in the neighborhood because of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-01 01:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6494872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cl3rks/pseuds/cl3rks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richie Gecko is a dorky fourteen year old.</p><p>Or, alternatively, Richie is your best friend and to say he doesn't "notice" you (in the way Seth described) is a lie. He is also the only Gecko in his house to hit puberty late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. pool time.

**Author's Note:**

> I firmly believe Richie hit puberty later than Seth and when he got tall Seth was like ? ?? "Listen asshole ?? I didn't sign up for my BABY BROTHER to be like FIVE INCHES taller than me." Anyway, congrats. Richie is fourteen, so are you. Have fun. (I wrote this at 2AM, sorry for any mistakes I missed.) I also foreshadowed Richie being a killer, I'm gonna cry or something, I hate giving myself this PAIN. 
> 
> This will have another chapter then this part will end and I will begin a new one, so on and so forth til Richie has me in tears.

Richie was waiting for you, as he always did. He was making circles with his bike.

It had been your brother's bicycle, til Harvey, your brother, threw it out on the grass just before the street. It would have been taken away on garbage day. 

Your brother said it was broken, that the chain had come off and gotten tangled. Seth took it immediately, fixed it, spray painted it black and silver then gave it to Richie. 

"You know, my mom says if you keep making circles in the street, you'll get squashed." You stated, walking out of the front of your house as you yanked the door closed, pulling at your hoodie sleeve. "I prefer you in one piece."

Richie, all of fourteen, smiled a little and laughed. 

"My uncle says the same thing." He replied, his voice cheery but a little odd in the pitch zone -- the beginning of puberty will do that to a boy. Richie was the one to hit it late, Seth hit puberty at twelve. "You gonna hop on or what?"

You, same age as Richie, walked down your front steps and over to his bicycle.

"Where do you wanna go?"

"Ice cream? Pizza?"

"First one, I think. It's kind of hot out here." You muttered, turning slightly so you could hop up and sit stiffly on the handle bars. "You?"  
You were glad Seth wasn't coming, you three had been known to ride triple on the bike. Seth on the back holding his brother's shoulders as Richie peddled, holding the handlebars as you tilted with Richie to help him turn.   
Richie nodded after a moment, his glasses shifting slightly. "Ice cream sounds good." 

You nodded back, your hair whipping around a little as a gust of wind swept past you. Richie began peddling down the street, using your body as a counterweight as you leaned (ever so slightly) whenever he turned.

"Where's Seth these days?"

"Some new skirt." He muttered, using a term he had heard his older brother use many times. "Doesn't really talk to me currently."

"Why's that?" You wondered, not willing to turn and look at Richie as he spoke. You'd throw off his steering. He shrugged and sighed softly.

"Too occupied with said new skirt?"

"I hate that term." You told him as he peddled, hitting a curb a little to harshly and losing his grip slightly before he caught it again. "It just sounds weird."

You knew he'd be doing that thing where he squints and furrows his eyebrows a little when you said something he didn't get. 

"Why's that?"

"Women don't call men 'suits' or 'pants'." You replied, sounding a little more than plainly irritated. "Why do men have to call women 'skirts'?"

Richie watched you adjust your hands on the handle bars, keeping them away from his so he wouldn't accidentally swat them. 

"I don't know. I heard Seth use it." He sound a little annoyed too, but not by your question. He suddenly changed the subject. "Why do you call some people men and women? Why not girls or boys?"

"They've gone through changes." You shrugged a little, your shoulders moving the dark blue hoodie – the one you stole from Richie – you had on as another gust of wind blew past you both. "Like we are."

"Seth said it was hormone stuff."

"Harvey won't talk about male changes with me and Jessica," you hardly mentioned your oldest sibling – the one nearly in college. "She handed me a book and told me to read it. She knows more about it than he does, anyway."

"What's it about?" He questioned, seeing the ice cream shop in the distance. "Hm?"

"Biology, mostly puberty. See, you're gonna go through bodily changes but different ones than me." You told him. "Like, right now? I'm taller than you, but I guarantee you'll be taller than me sooner rather than later. That's not all, though."

"Seth said I could talk to him about it when I was ready to date a sk-- girl, but I don't know if I want to." He told you, peddling a little faster after correcting himself. “Date, yet, I mean.”

"It's awkward to talk about." You told him, remembering all the biological things in the book you had read about; sex, menstruation, female and male reproductive organs -- 

"Seth said," it was _always_ Seth said. "I'd notice girls differently. He said if I noticed boys, he wouldn't be able to help me out... but girls, he's got them down."

"Mm. We're here." You tried to get him off the topic as you jumped off the handlebars as he slowed down the bike. 

Richie nodded curtly and put it in the rack as you went inside and asked for a chain, something the owners always had for customers, and handed it to Richie when you got back out.

"What's the flavor of the day?" Richie asked as he stood straight, squinting at the sign before answering his own question. "Double chocolate chip cookie dough."

"What's that mean?" You inquired quietly, walking in with him as he stuffed his hands into the top pockets of his tan cargo shorts. 

"Chocolate ice cream and chocolate chips with vanilla cookie dough?" He shrugged once more. "Dunno."

That, apparently, is exactly what it meant. 

"Ah, hello dears!" Mrs. Rizzo smiled, watching you two stand by the counter as her husband took your orders. "Beautiful weather, yes?"

"Yeah!" Both you and Richie said in unison, grinning widely.

"Enjoy it while you can." Mr. Rizzo said almost bitterly, hissing the sentence as his shaky hands dished out ice cream into cones. 

Chocolate for Richie and the blue moon for you.

"Albert, quiet." Mrs. Rizzo hissed, swatting the air a few feet from where her husband stood. "How's Seth?"

"Good." Richie said shortly, taking his cone from Mr. Rizzo. "He's got a new girlfriend." 

"Oh, how nice!" Mrs. Rizzo smiled wide, clasping her hands together as she watched you two. "And you both?"

You got what she meant right away, but you didn't think Richie did. You were right.

"We don't date like Seth does, or like anybody does. It seems weird right now." Richie told her as he licked his ice cream, taking a napkin off the counter. 

You sent Mrs. Rizzo a look -- she knew you liked Richie. It was a long suffering kind of thing, sadly. You sighed and reached for the cone Mr. Rizzo presented to you, thanking him quietly. 

"It's free." Mrs. Rizzo waved off as both you and Richie reached for some change and crumpled dollars in your short pockets. You both thanked her quickly and headed outside, sitting on the curb to eat your ice cream.

"Hey, what do you think she meant?"

"What?" You asked, almost a little nervously. "You mean about the dating?"

"Yeah." Richie replied distractedly, trying to eat the top off his ice cream before it melted. "Was she talking about us?"

"We're always around each other."

"We're best friends, (Y/N)." He replied, chuckling softly. "That's why."

"I know, I know." You muttered, polishing off your ice cream quickly, but not as fast as your trusty companion. "Do you like girls?"

"Haven't noticed 'em yet, not like Seth said I would." Richie frowned a little. “I know I don't like boys though.”

“Jessica said that's called being gay.” You told him, squinting slightly as you glanced at him. “Harvey's something called pansexual.”

“Never heard of it.” Richie shrugged slightly.

You sighed softly. You'd never heard the term either, but Jessica did her best to explain it because you were scared to ask Harvey, even though you shouldn't have been. “It's like being attracted to anybody – like for romantic reasons or physical ones – regardless of gender... I think.” 

"Mm.”

You two sat in silence until your ice cream was finished and you were certain that the hot curb was burning holes into your shorts. 

"We better get back." You said as Richie took the bike chain off, going to return it to the Rizzos. He came back out and rolled his bike onto the street, gesturing with his head for you to hop on as you always did. "Alright, ya!"

"I'm not a horse."

"Still wanted to say it." You giggled softly, your smile bright and wide. 

Maybe Richie lied a little. Sure, he hadn't "noticed" _all_ girls, but he sure as shit noticed you. You were cute to him and intelligent for your age, as was he, and funny and loyal and trustworthy and he played it off as best he could because he didn't want to admit he had a crush on you.

Not to mention the way your shirts began getting too small for your chest or when you tried to wear skirts, you'd complain that they were too tight on your hips – not that he really knew what you meant, but he sympathized. Just like he sympathized when you had to leave class and go to the nurse's office because of cramping.

(He had overheard you whispering to your female teacher as he walked by to turn in a late assignment.)

When he dropped you off and went home, Seth was there. He told him about the short time you went out together as he smiled the entire time.

"Man up, even though I know that's hard with your mouse voice." Seth said, sipping the beer he had poured into a sodapop can after drinking the soda within it. 

The doorbell rang and Richie sighed, going to it. He pulled the door open and saw you standing there in an oversized t-shirt and flip flops with a towel slung over your shoulder.

"My mom is filling up the pool the rest of the way, you wanna come?" You asked him, having changed fairly quickly. You looked over his shoulder, seeing the top of his brother's head. "Seth can come, too. Jessica's home for once in her life."

"Really?" Seth moved quickly and downed the rest of beer in a few seconds. He burped, crushed the can and threw it to some wastebasket in the room. 

“Thought you had a girlfriend.”

“Dumped her. Got too clingy.” Seth replied, scribbling something onto an index card and taping it to the couch. "Richie, c'mon. Uncle Eddie isn't here but there's the note, he can come get us if we're out too late or whatever.”

Richie told you to come inside, said that you could stand around rather than baking in the sun on the front steps.

You watched the boys rush to their rooms, coming out a few minutes later in swim trunks and flip flops along with a towel each. Richie, on the other hand, was wearing some faded band tank top.

"Ready?" You asked, seeing Richie push up his glasses as he nodded. 

The three of you ran back to your house, going immediately around the side. You pushed open the gate, let them through then closed it. Seth walked up the deck to the raised but still in-ground pool you had, smiling once he saw Jessica.

Your older sister was lying there, bright pink sunglasses on her face as she stared up at the sky. Harvey, on the other hand, was in the pool and trying to splash her with water.

You kicked off your flip flops and took off your shirt then slung your towel over the railing of the deck as Richie did the same with his towel. Seth followed but instead of getting in, he sat beside Jessica. You rolled your eyes, waiting until Richie took off his tank top and glasses. 

You put on sunscreen and Richie did, too. Seth did this but continued to sit beside Jessica, talking to her (or attempting to) about some band. Once Richie was done, you grabbed his hand and tugged him forward.

You did a mutual cannonball, Jessica shrieking as water hit her. 

"You little brats!" She howled as you resurfaced, cleaning off her sunglasses. Seth was trying his best not to laugh as Harvey cackled, water had soaked his hair but you had a feeling he'd been in the pool for a while. "God, I hate you both."

"Nah, you love us." You giggled, kicking off the pool wall as Richie tucked his legs up a little so he didn't have to stand in the pool. His legs had been hurting recently, Seth said it was because his bones were growing. Uncle Eddie started buying more milk and veggies when Richie started complaining. "Is mom bringing out ice cream?"

This question was aimed at Harvey as he got out of the pool and half-hung off the railing to grab a floaty before dropping it into the pool as he dropped himself on it. He went underwater on the blow-up item, water flowing on him before he answered.

"When we get sunburned because 50 SPF wears off and when we become overheated, then yes. She will. Unless we go in first and raid the freezer, but she won't appreciate that." Harvey replied, tucking his arms behind his head.

"Mm, good to know." You muttered, wading through the water. "Oh, we got fudge bars yesterday."

Richie grinned widely. "Nice."

You glanced at Seth, seeing him still attempting to talk Jessica as she turned her nose up at him, adjusting the tie on her bikini top instead.

"Your brother wants to bone my sister." You said, leaning back slightly to let the water move slightly around you. "It's disgusting."

"It's not a secret, though." Richie replied, swimming towards you. 

You narrowed your eyes at him, seeing his grin getting wider before you closed your eyes. You felt an arm wrap around your neck and screamed, feeling Richie drag you underwater before you kicked at him and attempted to resurface beneath Harvey's green floaty.

You shoved at him instead of swimming somewhere else. You used your hands and strength to push him up, seeing him go into the water as the floaty went into the air.

"Jesus, Richie!" You hissed, coughing as he laughed. Seth was sitting on the deck, squinting and chuckling slightly as Harvey sputtered and kicked his kegs out. 

"Why'd you knock me off my floating palace?" Harvey questioned, rolling back onto it. "Huh?"

"I was gonna drown." You snapped, sending a pointed look at Richie as you blew water out of your nose.

"I wouldn't have let you." Richie told you, his laugh turning into a chuckle as he swam around Harvey. "I'm no killer."

"Yeah, sure." You muttered, keeping him in your sights as he cackled shortly. You watched Harvey wait until Richie was out of the way before he moved over to the deck. He rolled off the floaty and went to Jessica's side.

He was blocking her sun. 

You smiled slightly, watching Richie pull himself onto the float before you grabbed the edge and tugged the device to the side of the pool.

"What?"

"Get ready for screamfest." You whispered, watching your sister turn her head to your fellow brother. 

"What are you doing?"

Harvey put an arm under her legs and one beneath her shoulders as she yelled at him to put her down. He did, but not in the way she wanted.

She screamed as he dumped her into the pool, her sunglasses coming off only to have Richie grab them. He put them on his face and stared up at the sun as Harvey laughed loudly as water splashed around you once Jessica hit the water.

Seth actually got into the pool when that happened, laughing with Harvey as you laughed with Richie. Jessica's ponytail was partially stuck to her face as she came up above water, arms crossed and nostrils flared.

"Jess, calm down." Seth grinned a little as he said this, having her hand firmly push against his chest. "Or don't."

She swam to Harvey and grabbed his ankle, yanking him in. Richie moved off the float to make sure he didn't hit his head on the edge of the pool as Seth pushed Harvey forward, the brothers making sure he didn't get hurt.

"Asshole." Jessica said loudly, rolling her eyes as she uncrossed her arms to swim over to Seth. "You're all assholes."

"Well, I learned from the best." You said as you glanced at Harvey as he used the float as a boogie board. 

"Thanks, means a lot." He said sincerely, getting a quiet laugh out of Richie before Harvey plucked the sunglasses from Richie's face and placed them on his own. "Really. I'd like to thank my parents, siblings, the gaylord Geckos down the street, and most importantly, the girl in science who sucks my dick after third period."

You scowled and with Richie's help, shoved Harvey under water once more. Richie jumped on his back and you wrapped around his front, weighing him down. 

"Fucking pricks!" He shouted as he swatted you away, water dripping out of his nose. "God, damn."

You and Richie shared a grin. 

This afternoon was going to be great.


	2. heathers.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and You having a little sleepover before he goes off to camp. 
> 
> He doesn't talk about it.
> 
> You don't ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ehh h hh ?? ? ? this is short but aye !!! getting into richie getting older YAY.

"Hey, you think Seth and Jessica are gonna go out?" Richie questioned from the ground as he sat on your blue bean bag chair, his legs stretched out in front of him. 

It was nearly ten at night. Seth had gone back home after the afternoon in the pool but Richie had stayed. 

You were on your bed, rolled on your stomach with your legs in the air as you swung your feet. You sighed softly, almost dryly, and looked down at your best friend as he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know." You shrugged, replying honestly. "He's after her, I know that."

Richie glanced down at his lap, adjusting the shirt he'd changed into after darting to his house – changing his outfit entirely – then darting back. He glanced up at you, chewing at his lip. "He's after every girl that'll give him the time of day."

You rolled over onto your back, hanging your head off your bed to look at him upside down. 

"True." You muttered, shifting your shoulders slightly as you slipped your feet beneath your pillows.

"Can't talk to them for shit, though."

"Girls, you mean?" You asked, seeing him nod easily before you chuckled softly, ready to tease him. "Neither can you, Richie."

"I talk to you, don't I?" He shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly. You rolled your eyes, shaking your head as you sat up. You turned around and hung your legs off your bed, swinging them so you could graze them against Richie's lanky legs. 

"The girls he 'notices', I mean." You sighed again, using air quotes as you watched his shoulders visibly shrink down in disappointment. "Do you notice me, Richie?"

He wasn't going to be honest.

"You wanna watch _Heathers?_ I mean, if your mom doesn't mind me crashing in your room. Not that she ever has but, y'know." 

He changed the subject quickly, much faster than he thought he could.

"And see Christian Slater in all his glory? Shit, yeah!" You grinned wildly, quickly scrambling off your bed to grab the disc you currently had in your possession. "It isn't here."

"What?" Richie questioned, standing up to go behind you as you rifled through your crate of movies. "What do you mean?"

"It's not here, the DVD isn't here."

"Oh." Richie's eyebrows were furrowed as you quickly went to the hallway. He double checked – just to be sure. "Where is it?"

"Jessica!" You shouted, your voice loud and accusing. "Where is my _Heathers_ DVD?"

"I don't have it! I borrowed it and returned it, alright?" You heard her shrill voice call back. "Ask Harvey!"

"What makes you think I have it, Jessie?" Harvey called out from wherever he was in the house.

"All o' you! Quiet!" You heard your father's voice, he was likely trying to watch some sport's game and you were all talking over it. You rolled your eyes as Richie stayed in your room to get your DVD player ready. 

"Harv... you like to jerk off to J.D, that's why!" Jessica's accusing response had your mother shouting at her to watch herself. 

Your cheeks felt warm at the words Jessica had shouted. You heard Seth talking about that sort of thing with Richie a couple times, telling him it was something guys did when he noticed you peeking around the corner. 

There was an excruciatingly long pause from Harvey before you heard a drawn out sigh from downstairs.

"It's on my desk." Your older brother told you, his voice showing heavy guilt. 

"Aha!" You heard your sister snap.

"Your family is weird." Richie sighed from your room as you walked into Harvey's room, got your DVD then ran back to your room. 

His family wasn't any better, though. 

You gave Richie the job of getting the DVD booted up while you went and got snacks: popcorn, chocolate, twizzlers, pop (soda, that is) and a few bags of possibly expired chips. 

"Your uncle cool with you staying here?" You asked, ripping open a pack of twizzlers.

Richie glanced at you from his bean bag chair before you flopped beside him, nearly landing on his lap.

"Little late to ask, yeah?" He squeaked.

"Well, not really?" You shrugged, looking down at your lap where you had a few snacks resting. "I mean, Seth relays the information, right?"

"Not really." Richie replied, taking a handful of popcorn. "If Seth's cool with it, then it's whatever? Uncle Eddie cares, he does, but Seth knows you all better. He knows what's safe and what isn't."

"Oooh, are we dangerous?" You giggled, chewing the red rope in your mouth. Richie rolled his eyes slightly and shook his head, focusing on the movie. "My mom said you're dangerous."

"Why's that?" Richie asked, his attention in your grasp.

"Well, Seth." You corrected, almost biting your tongue as you chewed your candy, correcting yourself. "She thinks he's the one behind the vandalism and joyriding."

"Mm." Richie muttered, his head doing a slight nod. He seemed a bit distracted now, or he was trying to avoid the topic, regardless, he answered crisply and coolly after a moment. "He is."

Your eyes met his for a moment and you frowned, watching your best friend as he began to ignore you where you sat.

A week later, after your little talk, Richie said he was going to a camp or something. You didn't question it, even though he didn't really provide answers.

It sucked. Him ignoring you didn't change.


End file.
